Super Mommies

Homemade Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I love the broccoli cheese soup at Panera Bread, but I don't love the fact that I don't know exactly what's in it or the fact that eating it is adding inches to my waistline.  What's a girl to do? Create her own healthy version! Below is a tried and tested do it yourself receipe. See what you think!

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1  cup  chopped onion
2  garlic cloves, minced
3  cups  fat-free, less-sodium veggie broth (or use chicken for the non veggies)
16-ounce fresh broccoli florets and 1 cup carrots, julienned
2 1/2  cups  2% reduced-fat milk
1/3  cup  all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat)
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
8  ounces  grated sharp cheddar

Preparation
Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth, broccoli and carrots. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Serve with Tomato Toasts: (thank you CookingLight)    I just LOVE tomatos....

Broil 4 (1 ounce) slices ciabatta bread for 1 minute. Turn bread over; top each slice with 2 thin plum tomato slices and 1 tablespoon shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

 

Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza

Need a quick, easy meal? This is my go-to meal on a busy night when time is precious. Pair it with a crisp salad and dinner is on the table in under 20 minutes.

Prep: 11 minutes; Cook: 4 minutes

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients
1  (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (or boxed--but you'll need to make it ahead of time)
Cooking spray
1  garlic clove, halved
1  large heirloom tomato, seeded and chopped (about 10 ounces)
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled herbed goat cheese

Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium heat.

2. Unroll dough onto a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray.

3. Place dough on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 1 minute or until lightly browned. Turn crust over. Rub with garlic; sprinkle with tomato and cheeses. Close grill lid; grill 3 minutes. Serve immediately.   

Photo courtesy of Oxmoor House

  

Spinach Risotto with Shrimp and Goat Cheese

Living as a vegetarian has been an easy, painless transition for me, but not so painless for my meat-loving husband.

Last week I decided to satiate his carnivorous ways, so I whipped up this little number. I knew it would make him happy (and I wanted to win wife of the year).

I’d highly recommend this Spinach Risotto with Shrimp and Goat Cheese dish, simply delicious.

Ingredients
  Cooking spray
  1  pound  large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  1  tablespoon  olive oil
  1 1/2  cups  chopped onion (about 1 medium)
  2  garlic cloves, minced
  1  cup  uncooked Arborio or other medium-grain rice
  3/4  cup  dry white wine
  4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth 
  1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
  Dash of saffron threads
  1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
  1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan; set aside and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
3. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in cilantro, saffron, and spinach with the last 1/2 cup broth. Add shrimp and cheese, stirring to combine. Serve immediately.

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Rose Nguyen

 

Eat your veggies, and don't forget your spanish and cawwots

 

I recently came across this commercial and wondered...(video above)

Do you struggle to get veggies into your little one’s tummy? Then I have the recipe for you!

Packed with NINE, yes NINE vegetables, this pasta dish I found online (and have tested TWICE) will live up to that challenge.

What you’ll need: Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Onion, Garlic, Broccoli, Carrots, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper, Frozen Peas, Butter, Whipping (Heavy) Cream, Parmesan, Glass of dry white wine (optional).

1 ½ cups cut broccoli.
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup chopped garlic
Two medium/large carrots sliced
Two zucchini sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced yellow squash
1 red pepper sliced

Look at all of those veggies!

Now heat 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-high skillet.
Be careful during the next stage not to overcook your vegetables! Cook the vegetables in batches, just enough to coat them with oil and warm them up a little.

Start by adding the chopped onion and garlic together. Cook for a minute or two.

Now throw in the broccoli. Then add in the carrots--for a minute.

After you’ve cooked them for a minute, transfer all of the above to a plate.

Now put the red pepper strips in the skillet. Stir them around for a minute or so, then transfer them to the plate with the others.

Take a break from your veggies and channel a little Corrine Bailey Ray…Girl, put your pasta on (no, not your records ).

Okay, let’s get back to our veggies.

(If the skillet’s looking dry add a little oil or butter)

Now add in the zucchini and squash for just a minute.

Remove the zucchini/squash, and add the mushrooms to the pan.

Now we need to make the creamy sauce.

Into the empty skillet, pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup dry white wine.

Now add about 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth. If you’re skipping the wine, go ahead and add a whole cup of chicken broth. (We use vegetable broth so if you’re a vegetarian we’ve got you covered).

Stir in a tablespoon of butter.

Now you need to scrape the bottom of the pan with your whisk. These bits will define your sauce.

Cook for a minute or two, until liquid starts to thicken.

Add 2 cups whipping (heavy) cream. (Or 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup half and half if you’re trying to watch your calories…but ahhh...just go for a walk later)

Add about 1 cup grated Parmesan and stir it thoroughly.

Taste the sauce and add salt to taste. Also, add black pepper. (Or in my case DUMP in the black pepper!)

Now take 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves and slice em up and add em in.

Stirrrrrr!

Okay let's dump in all those veggies…and go ahead and dump in about 1/2 cup frozen peas right out of the freezer too.

Next, add in the al dente pasta.

Keep stirring!

If the sauce seems a little thick, or if there doesn’t seem to be enough sauce, go ahead and add a good splash of broth to help even things out.

Dig in!

(I got so excited to eat this meal I forgot to take an after picture...next time)

 

Tomato, Corn and Avacado Salad

Looking for a great dish to take with you to your neighborhood BBQ or looking for a delicious summer salad? Well, I've got the one for you! This is one of my families favorite meals.

This colorful medley makes a delicious dish you can serve as a salad or call it a chunky dip and scoop it up with tortilla chips at your next party. In my house we serve this as a salad with cheese quesadilla, but it would also go nicely with grilled chicken or fish.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice  (I tend to use 2-3tbsp because I like it to have some kick)

 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
 
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
 
 2 1/2 cups corn kernels (I use organic frozen corn that I cook and cool, but canned could also work if you drain and clean--or if you're feeling really ambitious cutting it fresh off the cob would be best)

 2 cups avocado  (use well ripened avocado so that it's creamy in the mixture)
 
 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
 
 1/2 cup finely diced red onion 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.

2. Add the corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion and toss to mix.  Can be served at room temperature or chilled depending on your preference.

 Serves 4 to 6.

 

 

Pizza Night

I am by no means a Top Chef that’s for sure, but I do enjoy whipping up meals for my family and I love a challenge… so cooking has been growing on me. There’s something about the creative process that really fascinates me and I love watching the faces of my kids and husband as they bite into my newest creation. I also love that I can be alone in the kitchen, shakin it to Jason Mraz as I’m cutting veggies, or  whip something up with my bambinos while we throw a dance party with the Laurie Berkner Band.

Because we’re a family of vegetarians we do try to limit our dairy intake, but pizza is something I cannot give up. No matter how much I try to limit dairy, mozzarella cheese is something I cannot live without.  So on tonight’s menu…Tomato Pesto Pizza.

First, I make the whole wheat pizza dough (it’s pizza, but we’re still trying to be healthy here) and press it onto a pan. Because I don’t have a "pizza sheet pan" per-say, I use the closest thing I have. I’m going to be honest this isn’t something you’d start at 5:30PM after a long day at work…let’s be realistic. But, you can make the dough the night before and freeze it. After letting it thaw,  you can  pop on toppings and have a pizza on the table 30 minutes later. (You can also use a pre-baked crust if you want—I’m not judging!)

Next it’s time to smear on the pesto. I have an unhealthy relationship with pesto, so we load it on.

Now we pile on the mozzarella. As far as I’m concerned you can never have too much when it comes to this delectable cheese. Kokobean loves to lay them on, something about the texture delights my little helper (I have to stop her from eating them all before they make it to the dough). Don't be afraid to pile it on, who wants a pizza without cheese! (I'm just noticing my daughter is desperately in need of a manicure!)

 

Next up it’s time to add the tomatoes. For some reason the Roma tomatoes at the market today were GIGANTIC…it’s best to use smaller ones…but we went with it. Try to slice them thin so you don’t get a soggy pizza (and if you mess up feed them to the lil’ helper, always works for me).

 

Finish this masterpiece off with some good ol’ shredded parmesan cheese. In my younger years I’d grab a bag of pre-shredded and toss it on, but now that I am an aspiring Top Chef I'm all about the grate baby...I feel so badass with my grater in hand...Gordon Ramsay eat your heart out!

 

Time to bake! I baked mine about 20 minutes on 450, but you’ll need to follow the directions on your crust or peek your head in the oven to make sure your toppings aren’t burning. Remember, the thicker the crust, the more you have to guard your toppings against frying.

In the end, this baby is oozing with flavor and CHEESE…dig in…tummies around here were very pleased.  I'm one step closer to being a Culinary Master.

 

Oh, and for dessert we had this... can you say Berry Delicious...YUM!